Interlude
by FadedPromise
Summary: A one-shot in the same AU as 'Prisoners'. Lucien and Jean have a chance to talk about the future.


_A/N: This follows my AU story 'Prisoners' and won't make much sense if you haven't read that. It takes place in the evening of the day Lucien and Li arrived at the Blake home. It's a short one-shot, to be followed at some point by a much longer sequel. I just wanted to be sure the POV I'm planning to use would work._

It had been a momentous day for the Beasleys and the Blakes. The arrival of Lucien and his daughter had been exciting and exhausting for all six members of the household. Now, late in the evening, the three children were safely tucked into their beds upstairs, and Thomas had just retired to his room as well. Lucien and Jean were relaxing in the kitchen with a last cup of tea.

"Do you think Li likes her bedroom?" Jean asked, trying to stay with safe topics for now.

"Li told me she loves her bedroom," Lucien assured her. "Especially the bear. She said now Pooh has someone to talk to."

Jean smiled. "And I love having a little girl in the house," she told him. "Not that I don't love my boys - they're the most precious thing in the world to me - but having a little girl here, well, there are so many things I'd like to do with her, to teach her."

Lucien reached out to cover her hands with one of his own. "I think that would be splendid. Mei Lin didn't like to... Let's just say the nanny was responsible for a great deal of Li's care. Having someone to take her shopping and make biscuits with her is something she's never known."

"Her grandmother?"

Lucien shook his head. "I'm afraid her grandmother was killed very early in the war. Her grandfather cared for her by himself."

"He did a wonderful job," Jean noted. "She seems happy enough and well-adjusted, especially considering all she's been through."

"Yes, he did a marvelous job. He's a lovely chap. I tried to convince him to come with us when we left. China isn't safe for a man like him, but he wouldn't hear of it."

"I hope he'll be all right there," said Jean. "Will you stay in touch with him?"

"For as long as the Chinese government allow it," said Lucien. He was quiet for a moment then looked up at her with a soft smile. "I'm so happy you've been thinking about the kinds of things you'd like to do with Li. I'd like the two of you to get along."

Jean looked down into her cup, searching for another safe topic, wanting to postpone the conversation they both knew they needed to have. "My boys have plans for you as well."

"Oh, do they?" said Lucien grinning. "What sort of plans?"

"Football, fishing, that sort of plans."

"That sort of plans sounds just fine. I haven't been fishing since I was a boy, though."

"My boys have never been, so you may have to show them how," said Jean. She wondered if Thomas had taught Lucien to fish, then observed, "Your father went to bed early."

"Yes. Does he do that often?" He wondered if his old man was unwell.

"No, I think he was just being discreet, leaving us to have some privacy." She smiled, somewhat shyly.

"Or he wanted to avoid the subject of our differences," Lucien suggested, just a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"You've never said what caused your differences."

"Let's leave that for another time, shall we? Right now I'm just happy to be here, with Li and Jack and Christopher. And you, my dear Jean."

He smiled at her, and it nearly stole her breath away.

"And we're so happy to have you both here. _I'm_ so happy you want to be here."

"Jean. My dear Jean. There's nowhere else I would rather be than with you." Again he took her hands. "May I be honest?" he asked, his eyes shining with his sincerity.

She knew this was the moment she had been hoping for since he was marched away from her in the camp. She needed to know, even if a small part of her feared the worst. "Please," she told him.

"The weeks we've been separated have convinced me that I don't want to be apart from you," he told her, looking directly into her eyes the whole time. "I'm fully aware that we still have a lot to learn about each other, but if you'll have me, my love, I would like us to have an understanding that one day, when we're both ready, we'll be husband and wife." He continued gazing at her, holding his breath as he awaited her response.

She gasped. She too had wanted an understanding between them, an acknowledgment of their mutual attraction and an agreement to explore the possibility of a relationship, but this amounted to a proposal. Or at the very least, a promise of a future proposal. Was she ready for that?

She knew she loved him. Their time apart had confirmed that to her. The boys both adored "their Doctor Blake" and Lucien seemed just as devoted to them. She could also see herself becoming just as attached to little Li in no time.

Tongues would wag, insisting that she was getting above her station, but after what they'd endured over the last few years she could hardly allow a pack of gossiping women to keep her from finding happiness.

And that's what it came down to, she realized. Would agreeing to seek a future with Lucien make her happy? Would it make him happy? And their children? She knew that it would. And conversely the thought of losing him was more than she could bear.

"Yes, we need an understanding," she told him, holding his gaze. "I want us to learn more about each other, and when we do, and if we're convinced it's best for all of us, then we can talk about marriage."

He smiled at her with just a hint of sadness. "Forgive me, Jean. That was impulsive and forward of me, to bring it up so soon."

"It was honest," she corrected him. "It may be that I'm just overly cautious. I know that I love you, Lucien. But we have our children to consider, so we need to get this right."

"Of course." Hearing her confirm that she loved him was enough, for now at least. He would wait for as long as it took her to be certain. He resolved to remind her that he loved her every day until that time came.

"If we're going to get to know each other better, would you allow me to take you on a date from time to time?" he asked. "Let me court you properly?"

"Since we can't expect your father to retire early every night, I suppose it might be the only way we can be sure to have any time to ourselves, and, yes, I'd like that," Jean told him. She did like the idea. They were hardly teenagers, but an occasional dinner or trip to the cinema would be a good way to get to learn more about each other.

"Marvelous," said Lucien, with another brilliant smile.

They continued to hold hands as they finished their tea. When Jean finally moved to the sink to wash their cups and saucers, Lucien stood beside her, towel in hand to dry them. The domesticity of it pleased Jean no end. This normal life seemed so comfortable with him at her side.

"This is nice," she said, smiling at him and indicating the two of them together.

"It is," he agreed. "It's still early days, but I think I could get used to this."

"Not what you're used to then?" She had wondered what his family life had been like before the war.

"No...". He couldn't remember drying the dishes since his days at university. Certainly he had never seen Mei Lin do any washing up after a meal. _Not the time to dwell on that_, he told himself.

They finished up, and Jean took the towel from him, drying her hands on it before hanging it on its hook. She paused, wanting to extend the moment but not quite knowing how to go about it.

Lucien had no such hesitation. "It's been a very long day, and despite the delightful company, I really should make my way to bed. Would you mind terribly if I kissed you good night?"

"Why would I mind?" she asked, smiling broadly. "After all, we have an understanding now."

"That we do," he said softly, as he placed the palm of his hand alongside her cheek and leaned in to meet her lips with his own. When she responded in kind, he deepened the kiss, welcoming her into his firm embrace.

She gave herself over to the feelings that he drew from her. Oh, how she'd missed this since they'd been apart.

They were both flushed and breathing heavily when they broke away. Hand in hand they walked to the stairs. He let her precede him up, enjoying the view as she went. The doctor in him was glad to see that a few weeks of good diet had her frame filling out. The lover in him noted that she was filling out in all the right places.

As they reached the door to her bedroom, he kissed her softly on the cheek. "Good night, Jean. Sweet dreams."

She gave him a lovely smile. "Good night, love. Sleep well."

After the door had closed behind her, he made his way toward his own room, stopping along the way to replace the covers that Li had kicked off. She seemed to have no trouble sleeping in her new surroundings. He hoped his own exhaustion would let him do the same.

He made a quick trip to the loo. As he washed his hands, he glanced at himself in the mirror, still finding the sight of his gaunt appearance startling. He moved his head from side to side and thought about the possibility of growing a beard. He wondered what Jean would think.

By the time he had changed into his pyjamas and slipped into bed, he could hardly keep his eyes open. No reading of medical journals tonight.

It seemed like he had just fallen asleep when the screams woke him. He sat up quickly, not entirely certain that it hadn't been him screaming until he heard it again. He quickly donned his dressing gown and opened the bedroom door.

Other doors were opening as well, with three small heads peering around them. Li's room was immediately next to his, so he asked her first. "Are you all right?"

She nodded in the affirmative.

"Jack? Christopher?"

The younger boy also nodded, but Christopher said softly, "It's Mum. She has bad dreams."

"I see," he said. "I'll handle it. Go back to bed, please." He kissed each of them on the forehead and closed their doors behind them.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he approached the door to Jean's room and knocked softly. "Jean, are you awake?"

There was no response, but through the door he could hear a sob. That was enough to spur him to further action. He turned the doorknob and stepped inside.

Moonlight shone through the sheer curtains at the window, illuminating the room just enough that he could clearly see the bed, and Jean's form rocking back and forth, seemingly in terror.

He perched on the edge of the bed and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Jean," he said gently. "Love, it's just a bad dream. Jean."

Her eyes flew open and she sat up abruptly, reaching for him. "Lucien," she breathed. "You're safe."

"Yes, my dear, and so are you," he assured her. He pulled her into an embrace and could still feel her heart beating wildly. "A dream," he repeated.

Gradually her heart rate began to slow. She pulled back just enough to be able to look at his face.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"Not really. It was Morris. He was trying to...". She broke off and just gazed at him.

"Jean, would it help if I told you he's dead? Harold Morris was killed by a Japanese soldier he was holding prisoner."

"Really?"

He nodded.

"Even though I should feel bad about that, strangely I think it does help," she said.

"Good. Now, how about I sit here until you fall back to sleep? Would that help as well?"

"I think that would help more than anything," she said with a smile.

He scooted closer to her pillow so he could hold her hand. Jean fell asleep with a smile on her face, and Lucien stayed beside her until he was certain she was sleeping soundly. Then he placed a soft kiss on her forehead and made his way back to his own bed.


End file.
